July 4 holiday travel forecast breaks record
A record-breaking 46.9 million Americans are expected to hit the road for the July 4 holiday despite surging gasoline prices.
AAA estimates that 40 million people will travel by car this Independence Day, a 5.1% jump from last year. Air travel saw a 7.9% increase to a record-breaking 3.8 million people.
Gas prices have seen an erratic but steady climb, rising an estimated 60 cents from the prior year. Consumers will be paying $2.86 on average for a gallon of regular gas this year, the highest it has been in the last four years, according to GasBuddy.com.
Several states across the U.S. increased their gas tax this week, with Oklahoma being the first, raising the rate by 3 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 6 cents a gallon.
Travelers are expected to flock to the popular theme parks and out west this holiday.
Top Domestic Travel Destinations
1. Orlando, Florida
2. Anaheim, California
3. Seattle, Washington
4. Anchorage, Alaska
5. Honolulu, Hawaii